Teaching to lunge

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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I was lunging the ginger one last night and decided to have a go with the hairy one. I've only had her a couple of months and never tried to lunge before.

Well the poor love just stood there and didn't have a clue what I was asking her to do!! She couldn't understand why I would want her to walk away from me when she's on a lead rein!
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I'm used to the old ginger one who walks herself out in a lovely circle almost as soon as the lunge line is clipped on and listens to voice commands.

So I figured the hairy one had never been lunged before (she is 14!!
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). Therefore I walked her round in a circle with the lunge line on, but using it as you would a lead rein. Then I tried to get her to walk round me whilst I stood still by pulling gently on the lunge line and prodding her, gently, with my finger to push her away.
She eventually got the idea and with lots of encouraging words she managed a circle about 5 metres from me and even a little trot. Although she didn't know to stop to voice commands, but she does under saddle, so that might just be the confusion of it all.
Anyway we did about 2 minutes on each rein (having to start from scratch again on the other rein) and then lots of praise and polos.
Did I do the right thing or is there anything else I can do to help her learn to lunge?
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You could use a helper to walk around. also try the commends from a lead rein with lots of praise. She'll get it in the end. My horse didnlt know how to lunge but is really good now after lots of perseverence.
 
Thanks yes I might try that. I have no experience of teaching horses things like that, i.e. like you would a youngster. Unfortunately I don't get much opportunity to lunge as I can only really squeeze in riding when the children are in bed, so I take ever opportunity I can to ride rather than lunge. But I will try and hopefully get there in the end. She's very good on the lead rein and stops when I stop and walks when I walk, so I don't really need voice commands but will start trying to use them so she knows them. Thanksx
 
Start by leading her on the lunge line, in the area where you are aiming to lunge her ...eventually, practice walking with her on BOTH sides of you, and eventually concentrate on creating a larger space between you and her, so rather having her at your side, push her out a little so she realises she doesn't have to be right at your shoulder (if she has a tendency to stick her head down and eat if doing this in a grass field, some loose sides reins will prevent her from doing this) have a long schooling whip in your opposite hand so you have something to gently drive her forwards with, not to hit her with put the occassion flick/tickle along with your voice command, so if she stops she needs to learn to 'walk on' which you will use when you do eventually lunge her anyway, eventually slow your pace down so she is walking slightly ahead of you, do this in a circle but eventually make your 'walking circle' smaller, so she is effectively doing more waking than you, then one day you just stop and watch her walk around you, lots of praise and be on her case if she and turns to look in, you need to keep her moving so till she understands to walk a full circle in an active walk, could take a few days for her to pick it up, could take a few weeks, but is easier than you think, specially if you don't have someone to walk with her, you have to teach them to 'be on there own' on a circle because when you take that little helper away, they can sometimes come walking back in.
 
I tryed the helper method, didnt work. Pony kind of just switched to walking with helper, pony obviously thinking, ok you stand there in the middle and ill just walk with this person. Also helper was worn out far to quickly.
Sounds like you did a good job as she was going in a circle 5m away from you and managed a trot, just keep going from there.
 
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